NanoFlowcell electric car will be at Geneva

At the Geneva motor show in March intrigued showgoers will be able to see an electric vehicle which is claimed to be near production. What marks it out, apart from the attractive design, is that it is powered by flow cell technology.

In theory this means that an electric motor on each wheel will be powered from two tanks of electrolytic fluids, one with a positive, the other with a negative charge. As the two fluids pass through the flow cell they generate electricity.

What is intriguing is that the fluid evaporates and so the tanks can then be replenished after a range of 600 miles, the makers claim. The fluids are not flammable, nor are they toxic, and there are no emissions. Further, the system doesn’t have to run at high pressure, like some alternatives, so it should be extremely safe.

Refuelling would be simple and quick, but would require a network of pumps, where a dual-nozzle pump would fill both positive and negative tanks at the same time. NanoFlowcell say this network could be cheaply and quickly installed.

As yet, they are not claiming a range for this latest version, one year on from its unveiling, but it has the potential to change our acceptance of how far an electric vehicle can travel before it needs refuelling. Whether it makes production, or whether the technology gains other applications remains to be seen.